TALENT MANAGER

General presentation of the profession

Are you passionate about human resources, but with a penchant for strategic development? If so, there’s a 2.0 recruitment career waiting for you: that of talent manager.

The job of talent manager represents great potential in terms of competitiveness and economic performance, enabling companies to have a long-term strategy that goes beyond the day-to-day tasks of HR departments.

What is a Talent Manager?

The Talent Manager relies on a set of processes and practices in the field of human resources, aimed at ensuring the lasting effectiveness of the company’s most qualified staff. The main objective is to maintain the company’s innovation and performance at a high level.

They are involved in talent acquisition, development and retention. But there are several other roles for this manager, which are also an integral part of talent management, and which consist of talent identification, assessments, sourcing, etc.

In France, the CHRD (Cafés, Hôtels, Restaurants, Discothèques) represent more than 60,000 new employees who are taken on every year. 29.4% of jobs in the 39,000 hotel and tourist accommodation companies in France are linked to international tourism.

The talent manager or talent acquisition manager is the new kid on the human resources block. He or she draws on the development strategy of the company employing him or her to identify the most suitable employees for the various positions to be filled. Their aim? To optimise the team he/she recruits so as to get the best out of them and help the business to prosper.

In a luxury hotel or palace, every member of staff is hand-picked to meet the expectations of their demanding customers. So it’s the most experienced professionals in their field (hence the name ‘talent’) who are hired.

However, the work of this specific manager does not stop there. Once the talent has been recruited, he or she looks after their development, to ensure that they remain happy and motivated in their jobs. His or her work is therefore a far cry from the classic recruitment process seen in most companies.

What does a Talent Manager do?

The talent manager’s tasks begin after recruitment. The starting point is to identify the employer brand. What image and values does it want to convey? Together with the company’s development objectives, a strategy is then drawn up. This will be the common thread running through future recruitment. This is where this professional shows his talent for anticipation. They match strategic positions that will enable the objectives set by the organisation to be achieved, with environments that can meet the desired criteria. Once these characteristics have been assimilated, the strategic recruiter can move on to the second part of his mission: identifying the ideal profile.

To do this, he/she uses a number of tools, such as sourcing (for effective monitoring of applications) or expertise, combined with the use of analysis tools such as KPIs (performance indicators) which determine, in particular, the quality and time taken to recruit or the manager’s satisfaction. He/she can then embark on the recruitment phase to select THE candidate who matches the previously identified markers. This includes writing the job advert, sorting through CVs, interviews… in other words, the classic part of recruitment.

In addition, the talent acquisition manager is also responsible for managing recruitment service providers, as companies often call on the services of specialist firms. This aspect is known as ‘outsourcing’. He/she is responsible for updating candidate profiles with a view to possible future recruitment.

Once recruitment has been completed, the talent manager’s final task is to retain the profile. To ensure that the human capital of their teams is maintained, they need to mobilise factors of attractiveness other than the simple financial aspect (remuneration, bonuses and fringe benefits).

This brings into play the values established upstream when the employer brand was created. Career management, working environment, diversity and inclusion… each company has its own little extra to meet the expectations of its employees. For example, an employee’s skills can be developed through a training plan. Finally, it creates procedures based on a summary of all the tasks for which it is responsible.

What are the skills and qualities required of a Talent Manager?

As an HR specialist, this professional masters human resources management techniques. They also need to have a good command of English if they are to recruit talent internationally. At the same time :

• Rigour and a keen sense of observation are in their nature. These qualities are essential for correctly setting up the various reference systems, mapping and assessment interviews organised around target skills. They are also essential for standardising talent management procedures, drawing on the latest HR practices identified in the course of monitoring.
• Creativity and empathy complement her interpersonal skills. Coaching and mentoring tools are used perfectly to steer recruitment and the aspirations, both professional and personal, of talent.
• Open-mindedness is a key factor in improving mastery of IT and other tools, which are constantly evolving.
  In addition, a certain general knowledge of the company for which they work is essential.

What are the career prospects and salary levels for a talent manager?

Talent manager is simply a streamlined version of HR manager.

Talent managers earn an average monthly salary of €4,834 gross. However, as talent managers have more responsibilities, their median salary is around €65,300 gross per year, or around €5,400 gross per month.

After several years’ successful experience, it is therefore logical that talent managers should aim for a position in HRD (Human Resources Management), also known as HRD (Human Resources Development Management). They may also move into HR development or training management.

How to become Talent Manager?

The classic route to working as a human resources manager is to obtain a 5-year degree in this speciality. It is also possible to enter this position by completing a related course, provided that you have specialised in HR. However, talent managers need to master a wider range of skills, such as management and a sense of strategic development. So it’s a good idea to add management training to your career path.

CMH offers a Grande Ecole programme open to post-baccalaureate and parallel admission students with the aim of obtaining an MBA in international hospitality and luxury brand management. Over a period of five years, the school awards a Level 7 RNCP qualification, enabling students to become future managers of luxury establishments.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?